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It seems Jake Harris has little-to-nothing to offer any boat at this point, particularly one of his own.

There is such a huge difference between Jake Harris and Jake Anderson on the Discovery Channel’s Deadliest Catch, and this week, the differences were more apparent than ever.

Over the years, Jake Anderson has grown from a “young punk kid,” as Edgar said, into a man. He is responsible and an incredible worker, willing to do and wanting to learn. Fans have cheered him through tough times, like his sister’s death and the disappearance of his father and, most recently, felt relief, as well as pain, for him as his father’s body was finally recovered. Through it all, good times and bad, the fans have enjoyed seeing the strength this young man has shown, and have viewed him as an example of what one can accomplish if he is determined and is willing to do what it takes to reach his goals.

Jake Harris, not so much.

Jake Harris, as all fans will know, has battled drug problems since before his father, the legendary Phil Harris, passed away. Unable to run the Cornelia Marie on their own, Jake and his brother Josh took jobs on different boats this season. Josh has stepped up, and has been learning all he can from the Hillstrand brothers on the Time Bandit. Jake, on the other hand, has continued to slack his way through fishing on the Northwestern, much as he did on the Cornelia Marie, and has developed nothing this season but a growing sense of entitlement.

“You know, I’ve got a reputation, I shouldn’t need to be pushed,” Harris told Anderson, who was trying to get through to him how much the Northwestern team wanted to help him. “You guys act like what I’m doing right here is gonna benefit me on a multi-million dollar operation that I’ve—we’ve—got going on over there. No, it ain’t nothing like that.”

Multi-million dollar operation? If they’ve got a multi-million dollar operation in progress, why is he crewing on the Northwestern? And, his slip-up—“I’ve” initially, not “we’ve”—seemed particularly telling: Jake Harris has a sense of personal entitlement that is, to use a term Captain Scott has made a staple of Deadliest Catch episodes, legendary.

It is amazing that Sig and crew are even able to put up with Jake Harris. As revealed on After the Catch, Edgar wanted him off the boat. But, even on After the Catch, when the captains, Jake Anderson, and Josh Harris tried to talk with him, Jake was obviously not taking them seriously. He expects that because he is the son of Phil Harris, he will be given a pass; that is obvious. And, at this point, those around him are still enabling him to think that way. Their words are always encircled with excessive “I love yous,” and never have any real bite to them. When they try to broach the subjects of him not making the cut, not doing the work, slacking on the job, etc., those speaking always seem apologetic to be addressing him in such a manner. It’s no wonder he continues to take advantage of their willingness to help him.

Big Brother Josh Visits

At the end of the episode, when the boats were safely in the harbor, awaiting the clearing of the ice, and the fishermen were at home, a visit from big brother Josh was particularly telling of the road down which Jake Harris is heading. Josh visited him at his home and it seemed pretty obvious that he was not impressed with where his younger brother is at this time. He was watching Jake closely, and he even suggested that maybe Jake wanted to get his own boat. “You gotta remember this, too,” Josh warned a fidgety Jake when he said he only wanted to get a boat with Josh, “We always run a straight boat.”

Captain Johnathan recently warned Josh not to let his brother drag him down; looking at Josh’s face, both as he spoke to his brother at his home, and on After the Catch, it was easy to see that he is taking that warning seriously, and trying to make the hard decision about what he should do to move forward. Will Josh’s future include a captain’s chair? And, will he risk his future by including his entitled brother in his plans?

Comments

Can we vote Jake Harris off the island? This, honestly, is Phil's fault - or whomever raised this guy. You could always see Phil giving in to him and never making him tow the line, measure up or be responsible. Josh is always the responsible one, but Jake was the dad's favorite - you could see it. Jake hasn't earned anything and Josh would be better off keeping as far away as possible, brother or not! Jonathan was so right in what he told Josh, but with family its hard.
Jake Anderson has grown up - he has had to and he's done it well. You can see the pain he's carrying around with him and you want to give him the sympathy and compassion he truly deserves, but the other Jake... this writer is right, "Not so much." Fans could see the guys on the Northwestern trying hard to accept him - he's oblivious. This princess is sleeping on the pea and he thinks everyone owes him the King's mattress. Wake up Jake. Learn a little something from Jake Anderson. I'm still for voting him out of the fleet and off the island!

i agree. jake being an addict has nothing to do with his father.both of my parents were great and i still became an addict.i smoked crack for 20 yaers .i have been clean now for 10 years' and it made me sick to go to meetings and listen to everybody blame their addiction on there parents or childhood upbringing,grow up take blame for your own actions. i had a bad childhood (boo fuckin hoo)GROW UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yup. I work with addicts. My first reaction to him when Josh visited was exactly like yours, although I can't say what he uses. I think everybody is enabling him.Not a good thing, on the long run. A Harris or not, the World does NOT owe him anything.

I would guess its opiates based on his actions and looks he was always taking his dads pain meds so either still on oxy or maybe gradutaed to heroin.... someone needs to get him on suboxone... its still a hard thing to kick but sub is a godsend.... it was the only way i could get through the pian when i stopped after being on pain meds for a long time after a bad accident..... anyway i hope he wakes up and turns his life around.....

I would guess its opiates based on his actions and looks he was always taking his dads pain meds so either still on oxy or maybe gradutaed to heroin.... someone needs to get him on suboxone... its still a hard thing to kick but sub is a godsend.... it was the only way i could get through the pian when i stopped after being on pain meds for a long time after a bad accident..... anyway i hope he wakes up and turns his life around.....